Antonio Carlos Junior secured his spot in the PFL light heavyweight semifinals with a decision win over Karl Moore in May. Yet, the scoring of one judge, who saw the fight in favor of his opponent, caused concern for “Shoeface.”
Judge Marcel Varela scored rounds two and three 10-9 for Moore, leading to a 29-28 scorecard favoring Moore. Judges Jason Grenier and Troy Wincapaw, however, scored the second round differently. While pleased with his advancement, Junior hopes the sport evolves to prevent what he considered a questionable decision.
“I was somewhat apprehensive about one of the judge`s scores,” Junior stated. “When the split decision was announced, I even laughed. My thought was, `Seriously? Which fight did that judge actually see?` I was genuinely worried.”
Junior felt he controlled the fight for the most part, though he admitted to “slowing down” in the third round, which he felt made a 29-28 score in his favor a fair outcome. Despite viewing the win as a positive result and a solid performance after nearly a year out, the Brazilian fighter expressed a desire for North American athletic commissions to improve judge training.
Data from MMA Decisions indicates Varela has judged only two fights ending in a decision during 2025. He was considerably more active between 2021 and 2023, submitting scores for 58 decisions, but has judged only four bouts over the past 18 months.
“Naturally, you aim for finishes, particularly in a tournament format with short recovery times,” Junior commented. “But at this caliber, we`re talking elite MMA, highly experienced athletes who are technically and tactically excellent. Sometimes securing a finish is difficult; sometimes it`s a very close contest. Having proficient, dedicated judges is crucial – perhaps even former fighters. At times, it feels like some individuals have no understanding of what`s happening. I`ll be frank, I was a bit frightened.”
The 2021 PFL light heavyweight tournament winner, Junior, is set to face Simeon Powell this Friday at PFL 7 in Chicago. The American Top Team representative states he is prepared for a potential 15-minute battle but anticipates securing a finish.
Describing Powell, Junior noted, “He`s primarily a striker with excellent striking skills and significant reach. He`s good at controlling distance, moves well, and effectively uses his legs, making him quite dangerous.” Junior`s strategy is to force Powell onto his back foot. “I`ve observed he tends to box and initiate attacks when moving forward, so I plan to limit his space and prevent him from establishing his rhythm,” he explained. “He lacks extensive experience but holds a solid record, so we must approach this smartly. I`m confident I can secure a submission.”
A victory on Friday would propel “Shoeface” into the $500,000 final, where he would face the winner of the PFL 7 co-main event between Phil Davis and Sullivan Cauley.
Discussing Davis, Junior acknowledged, “He is undeniably the favorite. He`s a former Bellator champion, has fought in the UFC. He`s 40 now, a bit older, but maintains excellent condition.” He added, “He`s competed against top opponents, often proving superior, and secured a knockout in his last outing [against Rob Wilkinson]. Logically, Phil Davis seems poised to win, but this is MMA – you can never predict the outcome. Still, I expect Phil Davis to advance from the other bracket.”
